Can We Keep Him?
by katokatsu
Summary: AU; Alfred and Arthur are in an established relationship. Alfred brings home an abandoned puppy he rescued from an alley. Now, Alfred and  mostly  Arthur must learn how to live with the newest member of their family while maintaining their sanity.
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! First submission to FFNet, consequently, my first "real" attempt at fanfiction! whoo! :)

So, this was written last...November? For the Secret Santa Exchange that went on at the lovely USxUK livejournal community.

The prompt was: In some future/AU where they are married or in an established relationship, USA finds a puppy/kitty/baby eagle/kid crying in an alley and decides to take it home with him. Now he and England must learn to deal with parenthood/pet-ownerhood.

Warnings: EXTREME FLUFF. Seriously, lovey-dovey USxUK _and_ a puppy? Prepare for nauseating amounts of fluff. : )

Written for sanna_lan on lj

Enjoy! 3

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Arthur sighed contentedly, a mug of hot chocolate warming his hands. It was an unfamiliar feeling, really. Normally his heart would ache terribly the second he took his eyes off of Alfred. However, he knew that _Alfred_, his dearest America, loved him back. And it made him strong enough that somehow, being apart from him for a while was okay for Arthur. He could endure it now.

But that's not to say he didn't miss him terribly.

His aimless gaze drifted toward the clock for the hundredth time that morning. He lay sideways on the sofa lazily, resting his head against his arm, warm with Alfred's hoodie on his small frame. _I hope he hasn't gotten himself lost._ Arthur furrowed his brow thoughtfully. _Honestly, how long does it take to return movies to the rental store?_ Arthur's expression softened as he recalled the way Alfred had latched on to him the previous night, vulnerable and frightened by the horror film they had decided on watching.

_"No, it's totally fine, Artie."_ Arthur smiled softly at the nickname as he remembered Alfred's departure. _"I gotta pay you back for taking such good care of me last night." _Arthur had noticed that Alfred had covered the DVD cover with his jacket sleeve, hiding the picture of a ghost on the front, _"You stay home and relax, I'll take the movie back. You've done enough for me, it's the least I can do."_ Alfred had flashed a brilliant grin, kissing Arthur's forehead gently before taking off.

_Silly git…_Arthur mused fondly. _I wasn't offering to join you for your sake…in fact, it was a bit selfish of me, but I only wanted to be around you…_Arthur stretched lazily before curling up comfortably on the sofa, Alfred's scent still lingering on his hoodie. _So please come home soon…_

Suddenly, Arthur heard keys fiddling with the doorknob and shot up, despite the accompanying head rush, to meet Alfred as he burst through the door enthusiastically. "Bloody hell, Alfred, did you get lost in the Tube station aga—"

"Merry Christmas, Arthur!" Arthur's rant was immediately cut short when Alfred shoved a tiny, golden, rather wet puppy into Arthur's arms. Arthur gaped, opening and closing his mouth, apparently unable to form words. "Okay, so it's real early, but still! I found this little guy whimpering in an alley, huddled into a corner and shivering in the rain and all alone, I had to rescue him and bring him home! I'm a hero, after all!" Alfred flashed a brilliant grin, "I mean, look at him, _he's so cuuute." _Alfred scratched the puppy's ear affectionately, grinning brightly as it nuzzled his hand. "So whaddya say, Artie? Can we keep him?"

Arthur's eyebrows rose impossibly high, his mouth falling open as he blinked, caught completely off guard. "Y-you expect me to believe that you'll actually be able to take care of a_ puppy_?" Arthur managed, fixing an incredulous stare on Alfred. "You can hardly manage to keep _yourself _out of trouble and…relatively aware, and you think you can look after_ another living creature_?"

"Aw, but you'll be here to help. We can take care of him together!" Arthur frowned and willed himself to focus on something other than the small warmth that rested against his chest and the bright azure eyes that were locked on him. 

_Oh! This isn't so terrible. I'll definitely be able to resist as long as he doesn't give me…__that…_look_…oh, bollocks._ Arthur cursed inwardly as he found himself faced with not one, but two pairs of impossibly endearing puppy-dog eyes.

"_Pleeeeeease_, Arthur?" Arthur put forth his absolute _best_ effort at maintaining his characteristically grumpy expression, but found it extremely difficult with Alfred and the puppy _looking_ at him like that, and—good lord, was the puppy snuggling against him—did it just _yawn_? Arthur kicked himself inwardly as he felt a small smile tug at his lips, cheeks warm with an inevitable blush.

"Oh, for the love of...all right, then, Alfred. But you had _better_ promise to—" Arthur's words were completely obstructed by loud, enthusiastic cheers from Alfred, and instead replaced with shouts of indignation as Alfred grabbed Arthur by the waist, lifting him off the ground and squeezing him happily. Arthur managed to hold the puppy a safe distance away from Alfred's crushing bear hug.

"_Artie!_ You're the _best!_" Alfred beamed, setting Arthur down gently.

"Good lord, Alfred, could you please try to be more careful around him?" Arthur chastised, though his tone lacked a significant amount of authority, as he found it rather difficult to stay cross with Alfred's infectious enthusiasm combined with the tiny puppy cradled in his arms.

"Hmm, I'm sorry." Alfred hummed softly, one arm still around Arthur's waist as he leaned down to tickle the little puppy's belly, still grinning. "I'm just so happy." Arthur briefly recalled Alfred displaying similar behavior at the time of his confession, smiling lovingly at Alfred.

"He is rather endearing, I suppose." Alfred brightened, watching as Arthur's expression softened at the sleepy puppy. "Not entirely unlike you, Alfred." Arthur looked up at a briefly surprised Alfred, who leaned down to kiss Arthur softly.

"Thank you so much, Arthur…" he spoke quietly, "We can make this work, I promise."

There was _something_ in Alfred's tone that really made Arthur believe him. Perhaps it was the hero complex, or the confidence that came with being one of the most powerful nations in the world.

Or maybe it was simply because Arthur was just so madly in love with him.

Whatever it was, Arthur believed every word that Alfred said, no matter how ridiculous, no matter how obnoxious, no matter how vehemently he denied it.

But that didn't mean he had to _agree_ with everything that came out of the younger nation's mouth.

"Alfred, we are _not _naming the puppy 'Captain America'." Arthur resisted the strong urge to whack his lover over the head. They sat, cuddling on the sofa as the puppy curled up comfortably on Arthur's stomach, his golden fur now dried and fluffy. Alfred pouted, and it took everything Arthur had not to smile at how cute he looked doing it.

"_Why not?_" he whined, causing Arthur to roll his eyes, exasperated.

"Because it'd absurd, that's why." Arthur settled himself more comfortably against Alfred's chest, reaching out for one of his hands. "Besides, you can't name your pet after yourself, egotistical—"

"You think I'm _Captain America_?" Alfred nearly bolted upright in excitement, his eyes sparkling with joy.

"Settle _down_, Alfred, you'll wake him!" Arthur scolded, leaning his head backward against Alfred's chest to get a better look at the younger nation. "And that isn't what I meant, you dolt." Arthur spoke, though his tone was almost affectionate.

Alfred looked unconvinced, frowning down at Arthur, who shifted carefully to rest the side of his head on Alfred's chest. "I don't really know very much about this 'Captain America' of yours…but I'm certain you're a far more 'awesome' hero than he is."

Several years ago, Arthur would have much rather done vodka shots with Ivan than to admit such a thing. But things were different now. Alfred loved him back. Nothing felt foolish with him anymore.

Alfred froze, and Arthur could feel his heart racing beneath his ear. "A-Arthur…" Alfred wrapped his strong arms around Arthur's smaller frame and squeezed him tightly, whispering softly into his ear. "I swear, if Captain America wasn't sleeping on your stomach right now, I'd have you on your back in two seconds flat."

It took several moments for Arthur to regain control of his mouth to speak. "Alfred, we are _not_ naming the puppy 'Captain America'." Arthur managed, cursing himself inwardly for still going weak at the knees when Alfred spoke like that. Alfred laughed, his arms still tight around Arthur as he pressed a soft kiss to his scruffy blond hair.

"Okay, okay. What should we name him then? And don't say something weird like 'Lord Byron' or 'Scone' or anything like that!" Alfred snickered as Arthur squawked indignantly. The pair settled down after a bit, Arthur stroking the arms around him pensively.

"Hero."

Alfred spoke suddenly, squeezing Arthur affectionately as he smiled, watching the sleeping puppy. "We should name him Hero, Arthur." Arthur felt a small smile tug at his lip as he leaned up to press a kiss to Alfred's cheek.

"That sounds like a perfect name, Alfred."

Alfred grinned in response, reaching out to pet the little puppy gently. "It's settled, then. Welcome to our family, Hero!"

The next week was a whirlwind of events, beginning with Hero's first walk with his new family. What should have been a relatively uneventful affair turned chaotic when Hero decided to take off after a squirrel while Arthur, who had been holding on to his leash, was momentarily distracted.

That is, his limbs had gone slack when Alfred pressed him against a tree to kiss him, giving Hero the perfect opportunity to bolt away. "Oh, _shit_, Hero!" Arthur shouted, running to catch up to Alfred, who had begun to tear across the park to pursue the runaway puppy.

"Don't worry, I've got him, Artie!" Alfred called behind him, waving to reassure Arthur, who honestly_ did_ try to warn him about the ice cream cart.

However, Alfred, having built up a considerable amount of momentum, plowed straight into the ice cream cart nonetheless, sending buckets of ice cream into the air and all over himself. It was then that Hero came running back to Alfred, jumped onto his chest, little paws on Alfred's collarbone, and began to lick the ice cream off of his nose, tail wagging excitedly.

Meanwhile, Arthur cringed as Alfred slammed into the cart, doubling his efforts to catch up to the much faster nation. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found that Alfred was not only unharmed, but laughing cheerfully as Hero licked the ice cream off his face. Arthur smiled warmly at the sight, though he felt a small pinch of envy as he watched the little golden retriever puppy on Alfred.

Almost immediately, he began to beat down the absurd feeling. _Don't be ridiculous, Arthur. You can't honestly be jealous of a puppy!_ He dismissed the notion as a momentary lapse in sanity. It's not as though he wanted to be the one to slide his tongue languidly over Alfred's warm skin, catching rivulets of a combination of ice cream and sweat, and— "Hey, Arthur! I guess you're right about Hero being just like me, I think he might love ice cream even more than I do!" Alfred broke Arthur out of his trance with a cheerful grin, his glasses askew with one frame covered in mint chocolate chip.

Arthur took a moment to compose himself, shaking his head furiously as he knelt down to retrieve Hero, who wiggled excitedly in Arthur's grasp, dripping with melted ice cream. His expression softened as he cradled the puppy protectively in his arms. "Alfred, we've got to keep a closer eye on him! He could've gotten hurt…"

Alfred laughed, pushing himself up to scratch the puppy behind his ears. "Aw, relax, Arthur! He only wanted to explore a little."

Arthur raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Oh? You said so yourself; he _is_ just like you, after all, and look where you've ended up." He motioned toward Alfred's body, covered in splotches of melting ice cream.

"Heh, _well_…" Alfred stepped closer to Arthur, smiling dangerously. "Want to help me get cleaned up?" he spoke, his voice low, warm breath tickling Arthur's ear.

After apologizing profusely to the ice cream man, they hurried home to give Hero a quick bath before Arthur dragged Alfred into the bedroom.

The next few days were filled with trips to the vet and PetCo in order to pick up a few things for the newest member of their family. Naturally, Alfred insisted on bringing Hero with them to PetCo, Arthur smiling weakly as he watched both of them run around the store excitedly, "_aww_"'ing and barking, respectively.

"Alfred, Hero! Settle down, you're going to end up—" _CRASH_. Arthur held his face in his palm as Alfred collided with a display.

"Ve~ Alfred, Arthur, you got a dog?" Arthur looked up between his fingers to see Feliciano bouncing toward them cheerfully, dressed in a PetCo employee uniform.

"Sure did! His name's Hero!" Alfred waved, greeting Feliciano with a bright grin.

"Ah, wow that's such a cute name." Feliciano knelt down to pet the excited puppy. "He's so hyper!" Feliciano laughed as the puppy licked his hand, tail wagging like crazy.

"Yep! Me and Arthur just got him, so we're here looking for food and toys and stuff." Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred's butchering of the English language.

"Feliciano! I thought I told you to clean up the mess and fix the display, stop distracting yourself with the customers." Ludwig's voice boomed authoritatively as he approached them, pausing briefly to nod at Alfred and Arthur in greeting.

"Ve, but look, Ludwig! Alfred and Arthur have a puppy!" Feliciano held the squirming puppy up to Ludwig, whose face turned a slight pink.

"N-nevermind, Feliciano, I'll take care of it." Ludwig sighed, reaching out one large hand to pet Hero gently.

"I'll help, too, Ludwig! It was kinda my fault, after all." Alfred offered, creatively attempting to reassemble the stand.

Feliciano walked up to Arthur, holding Hero in his hands. "Ah…so Arthur, you really let Alfred get a puppy?"

Arthur scratched Hero's belly affectionately. "Yes. Though it's likely I was swayed, as they're both rather persuasive when they want to be."

"He's so cute and little! I'm scared of Ludwig's dogs because they're so big and loud and they keep jumping on me and hiding my pasta, like this one time, I really wanted to make Pesto alla Genovese for Ludwig because it was our anniversary and the parmigiano-reggiano was on sale at the grocery store and…" Feliciano trailed off as he noticed Arthur's gaze drift off to stare aimlessly at Alfred. "Ve…" Italy spoke quietly, drawing Arthur's attention back towards him.

"I'm so sorry, what were you saying, Felici—"

"It's good to see that Arthur is finally beginning to trust Alfred again." Feliciano smiled softly, his voice uncharacteristically calm.

Arthur stared at him, momentarily startled by the weight of his words, before allowing a small smile to soften his features as he rested his green eyes on Alfred. "...I suppose I am." he spoke, his voice soft.

tbc.

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**A/N**

(1) I know the title sounds super generic, but I was going for hinting at the difference between "can" and "may", where "can" indicates capability, while "may" implies permission. So when Al asks "Can we keep him?" he's essentially asking whether or not the two of them are capable of taking care of a puppy. So technically, he should be asking "_May_ we keep him?" but that sounds silly. /lame lol

(2) I've never been to a PetCo before so I'm not sure if they've actually got people walking around in uniforms helping people out, but I've heard you can bring your pet with you! =w=

Comments are really lovely! They brighten my day no matter how short, I promise you C:

Thank you very much for reading! I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can.


	2. Chapter 2

It certainly _had_ taken a very long time for Arthur to open up again, to smile for somebody other than his mythical friends. For the hundreds of years following Alfred's revolution, Arthur prided himself on maintaining a relatively stiff and stoic persona in front of the other nations. Soon enough, though, Arthur found himself irrevocably drawn to Alfred's cheerful magnetism.

And however much he openly loved Alfred now, the Revolution always weighed heavily on Arthur's mind. For him, it was still a sensitive topic, yet, somehow…in an ironic sort of way, he found himself finding comfort and ease in the very person who had been the root of his melancholy in the first place. And while Arthur honestly regarded Alfred as irreplaceable, extraordinary, and even _precious_…sometimes, he honestly had no idea why he willingly hung around the overgrown teenager.

Particularly when it came to a _certain _facet of his personality.

"No, you may _not_ feed the dog hamburgers, Alfred." Arthur objected, boiling a pot of hot water, Alfred happily snacking on a mountain of McDonald's takeout.

"Aww, but come on, Arthur! I'm sure he'd love it, you can't be _awesome_ if you don't love McDonald's!" Alfred spoke around a mouthful of burger. Arthur rolled his eyes, adding various ingredients to the pot. _Honestly, Alfred is absolutely insufferable when it comes to food._

Sure, Arthur enjoyed McDonald's enough, (much to the American's glee) but eating it _every single day_ for _every_ meal if he didn't have Arthur concerned about his lifespan? Arthur felt he would _never_ be able to understand that particular aspect of Alfred's personality.

"Ludwig was generous enough to give us a recipe for homemade dog food, and I'd really like to give it a try." Arthur spoke easily.

"_Anything's_ better than those biohazardous sco—"

Arthur hurled a well-aimed leftover scone at Alfred's head. "Alfred, get Hero off the table!" he frowned. "It's bad enough that I let you drip _grease_ all over it." He added, crossing his arms over his apron.

"He just wants to get closer to the _awesome_." Alfred spoke mischievously, teasing Hero with a French fry.

"And would you be referring to the 'awesome' that is _you_, or the McDonald's?" Arthur replied sarcastically, turning his attention back to his cooking.

"Umm…both, I guess!" Alfred laughed. "Seriously, though, you should lighten up, Arthur, you're like a bossy housewife." Alfred teased.

Arthur stiffened, turning from whatever monstrosity he was preparing on the stove to shoot an angry glare at Alfred. "I beg your _pardon?_ Did you just call me a _housewife_?"

Alfred snickered, gently removing Hero from the table and unwrapping another burger. "I'm sorry, Artie. I can't help it, you look so cute in your apron." Alfred replied easily, pretending not to notice the bright blush that appeared on Arthur's face.

Arthur turned around promptly, returning his attention to his cooking. "A-and that's adequate justification for insulting me?" Arthur cursed himself for stuttering. He tensed when he heard Alfred scoot his chair back and approach him.

"I'm sorry, Artie. Please don't be mad…" Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist from behind, resting his chin on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur weakened as Alfred began to kiss his neck softly.

"…a-all right, you're forgiven." _I suppose I've called you much worse. _He added silently. "But to compromise, you've got to eat a bit of what I've prepared for Hero."

Alfred grimaced, staring down at the indiscernible creation on the stove. "…d-do I really have to?" Alfred asked innocently as Arthur turned to face him, looping his arms around his neck. He smirked at Alfred, green eyes glinting slyly.

"Well, you see…if you do, _I'll_—Alfred! Hero's got one of your sodding hamburgers in his mouth, go after him!" Arthur cried, pushing past Alfred to run after the excited puppy.

Hero crouched in the middle of the living room, his tail wagging madly in the air as Arthur and Alfred approached him cautiously. He stared up at the two nations with his big brown eyes challengingly, giving the burger an experimental shake before scampering away as Alfred leapt at him.

They chased him all over the house, Arthur finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the agile puppy, knocking things over and occasionally colliding with Alfred. The pair shoved through any obstacle, unmindful of what they were pushing over, their only priority being to retrieve the burger from Hero. The puppy wagged his tail excitedly as he ran, apparently finding no interest in eating the burger, but rather, extremely amused by the two blondes tearing after him.

By the time Alfred and Arthur had managed to corner Hero between the sofa and the wall, the living room was an absolute _mess_.

It would have been bad enough that Hero had managed to drip a trail of grease, condiments, and bits of lettuce all over the floor and walls, Arthur thought as he cringed at the chaos that was the living room. The furniture had been turned over, a broken lamp lay shattered on the floor, the curtains had been torn from their hooks, and the Venetian blinds were bent across the window. Alfred's Playstation 3 lay broken where he had tripped on the cables and smashed his foot through the console. Arthur groaned as he turned towards the wall, which had a considerably large dent in it, a result of Arthur colliding with a nearby wooden chair after slipping on a tomato slice. He rubbed the spot on his head where he had hit it on the corner of a coffee table as Alfred successfully retrieved the burger, holding an excited Hero in the other hand.

To top it all off, the fire alarm began to blare and shriek just as Arthur opened his mouth.

He ran to the kitchen, horrified to find that the food had burnt, sending plumes of black smoke from the stove.

"…it would've burned anyway." Alfred offered quietly, honestly trying to help.

Arthur seethed. He turned around slowly. "_Put. Hero. In. His. Kennel._" He spoke through gritted teeth, flashing a glare, causing Alfred to gulp nervously. "He is _never_ to set foot in the kitchen again, and _you_ are going to help me clean this mess. One more smart-arse crack about housewives, and I will _force-feed _you the remains of that pot."

Alfred bit back a reply that was something along the lines of '_like it would be any different from the stuff you usually make',_ obediently carrying the whimpering puppy to his kennel.

Arthur sighed once Alfred was out of sight, closing his eyes and willing himself to calm down. _It's one small mistake, there's no reason to be upset…_ he repeated quietly in his mind, wincing as the fire alarm started up again. "And shut off that blasted fire alarm!" he shouted in Alfred's general direction, rubbing his temples with one hand.

Arthur wished he could've said it had gotten better. He _honestly _wished he could have.

There was a brief moment, one night, when they were all huddled together under a comforter on the couch in an attempt to escape the autumn chill, when Arthur thought things were going to be just fine. He rested against Alfred's chest, curled up comfortably on top of him, Hero nestled in the curve of his arm. He sighed peacefully, smiling as Hero nuzzled his hand affectionately, Alfred's fingers gently stroking along his spine. And he really believed that things were okay. That he might have even overreacted by banishing Hero from the kitchen and throwing the remainder of Alfred's burgers in the garbage. "_But they were still good! They were so young…"_ Alfred had whined, the beginnings of tears in his eyes faced with wasted McDonald's.

He really wished he could have said it had gotten better.

But then, Hero started teething.

It was a few weeks later, when Arthur and Alfred were preparing to set off for yet another unproductive headache of a world meeting. As Alfred cheered excitedly at finally succeeding in teaching Hero how to "sit" and "shake", Arthur made his way to the study to retrieve the documents he needed for the meeting. Alfred nearly jumped several feet in the air as a very loud, very exasperated wail echoed throughout the house. He stood up, approaching the shorter nation immediately as he stormed into the room, a handful of shredded papers in one hand.

"Woah, woah, settle down, Artie. What's the matter?" Alfred held Arthur by the shoulders, concern in his blue eyes.

"Oh, I'll bloody _tell_ you what's the matter!" Arthur seethed, bringing the papers to Alfred's face angrily. "That…that _mutt_ decided to destroy _every single document_ I needed for today's meeting!" Arthur shot an accusatory glare at Hero, who whimpered as Alfred stood in front of him protectively.

"Hey, Arthur! I know you're really upset, but there's no need for name-calling!" Alfred spoke, his voice uneasy. He had every right to be—an angry Arthur was a force to be reckoned with, after all. "Do you really think you'll even get to present anything today? It's impossible for us all to stay quiet and pay attention the way you and Ludwig want us to, I mean, we really can't help it." Alfred shrugged, completely aware of the fact that he himself was a huge part of the problem. "Besides, these meetings last for a few days, so you can always just print off new copies and bring them with you tomorrow, right?"

While Arthur really was touched by the way Alfred had tried to reason with him, it was too late—he had nearly reached his limit. "That isn't the _point_, Alfred! What if they _had_ been important documents? Census information or hospital records or something?" he waved the shreds frantically, "Are you telling me that you honestly don't realize what could have happened if he had managed to get to something of significant value? Drafts of important reports or even old photographs?"

"But couldn't we just put stuff like that on a high shelf or in a cabinet or something? That way there's no way that—"

"The only reasonable solution is to forbid Hero from entering the study! He has no business being in there, anyway, as it's the only place I can have a moment of bloody _peace_ and quiet to myself!"

"Arthur, you're upset, so I understand why you're being unreasonable, but…please try to calm down…" Alfred carefully wrapped his arms around Arthur's slim shoulders. "Please, Arthur? Try to understand that he's still a puppy. Don't be mad…" Alfred entreated, his voice calm and honest.

It took Arthur a moment to control his temper, Alfred's warmth having a calming effect on him. Arthur began to feel foolish for his behavior, slowly returning Alfred's embrace. "…I'm sorry, Alfred. I didn't mean to worry you…" he gently pushed himself from Alfred, briefly meeting his confused expression before kneeling down to pet Hero, who had poked his head around his Alfred-barrier cautiously. "And I'm sorry for what I said about _you_, Hero." Arthur spoke apologetically. "But you're not to enter my study from now on, understood?" he ordered, though his voice was still contrite.

He scooped Hero up, standing to interrupt Alfred as he started. "I'm sorry, Alfred, but I can't risk losing anything valuable while Hero is teething, please understand."

Alfred sighed, resigned. "All right, Artie. I know how serious you are when it comes to work and stuff." He smiled weakly, placing his hands on Arthur's waist and kissing his forehead.

"Thank you, Alfred." He hummed contentedly. "Oh, _bloody hell, _the meeting! We're going to be late!" Arthur gasped, shoving Hero into Alfred's arms as he ran off to grab his suit jacket.

Alfred smiled amusedly, carrying Hero to place him safely in his kennel. "Now, you behave yourself while we're gone, okay? Arthur gets mad really easily, so you have to be super careful around him. You'll get the hang of it eventually, though." Alfred winked, laughing as Hero barked playfully.

One night, Arthur waited patiently in his and Alfred's bedroom, snuggled under the sheets. He held Alfred's pillow close as he listened to the wind howl outside. Alfred had been called to an emergency meeting by his boss, so he wouldn't be home for several hours. Arthur waited nonetheless, knowing very well that Alfred would have done the same. He listened as the tempest raged outside, absently hoping that the elves had built adequate shelters to protect themselves from possible landslides.

As the thunder began cracking, the wind sending a torrent of rain against windows, Arthur thought he heard a small whimpering noise from outside the bedroom. He dismissed it as the wind, sighing into Alfred's pillow. As the thunder continued to clap violently, the whimpering had become a great deal more discernible, causing Arthur to frown curiously at the door. When he began to hear small scratching noises against the wood of the door, he reluctantly lifted off the covers to investigate.

As soon as he opened the door, expecting to find a lonely spirit or a confused dwarf, he was surprised to find a frightened puppy, trembling as he sat in front of Arthur's doorstep.

"Hero? What's wrong, boy?" he knelt down to pick Hero up, holding him gently in his arms. "How on Earth did you get out of your kennel? I thought you were asleep…" he spoke, puzzled. "Ah, the fairies must have let you out. They can be quite mischievous when they want to be."

Suddenly, another streak of lightning lit up the dark house, followed by a particularly loud crack of thunder. Arthur felt Hero jolt in his arms, feeling his little heart hammer against his chest. Hero whimpered loudly, burying his face in Arthur's sweater. Arthur smiled weakly at the small puppy, stroking him comfortingly. "Are you afraid of thunder, Hero?" he carried the puppy to his bed, settling under the sheets and allowing Hero to snuggle against him. Arthur hummed softly to console the shaking puppy, feeling his pulse slowly return to normal.

"You are _very_ much like Alfred, you know that?" Arthur spoke quietly, petting Hero's soft golden fur. "He used to come to me whenever he would frighten himself out of his wits reading those scary stories of his." He brought the covers around himself, covering part of Hero with the comforter. "Shh…there, there, love…" He consoled, closing his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm here. Don't be frightened…"

When Alfred returned home several hours later, he found Arthur and Hero snuggled together, asleep under the covers. He smiled softly before turning out the lights, carefully easing himself onto the bed and wrapping his arms around Arthur before drifting off to sleep.

**A/N**

Thank you _so_ much to everybody who commented on the first chapter! Really, every comment, no matter how short, means so much to me. I hope this chapter was okay!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Oh my _goodness_, I am _so_ sorry to whoever is still reading this silly thing for such an unexpected hiatus! College has made it clear that it fully intends to dive-tackle me headfirst into Examination Hell very soon, but I am determined to have this fic posted in its entirety by the end of this weekend!

Thank you very, _very_ much to everybody who's stuck by this story. It really means a lot to me. I hope I don't disappoint anybody!

* * *

Arthur really wanted to control his patience. He knew he was by no means the best at managing his temper, but he was working on it—had been working on it since he and Alfred finally admitted their feelings for one another.

He _really_ tried, attempting to convince himself it was worth it. The brilliant smile on Alfred's face when Hero greeted them excitedly at the door was worth the dull, pounding headache he silently endured every time he discovered yet another one of his shoes had been mangled.

Alfred and Hero were quite good at wearing each other out—both being veritable balls of energy, so Arthur was grateful that he had some time to himself while Alfred and Hero chased each other around the backyard. Even _if_ he constantly had to ask Alfred to get Hero to stop digging, as he was disturbing the gnomes.

Hero was a puppy, and a very cute one at that, so Alfred had every right to coo and dote on him and let him slobber all over his face and snuggle with him at night. It's not like Arthur got jealous when Hero wormed his way between him and Alfred, effectively separating the two for the remainder of the night.

He didn't even throw a fit when he came home to find teeth marks all over the carpet and furniture. He stayed calm as he endured muddy pawprints all over his clothing as Hero jumped all over, eager to greet him.

Arthur was quite proud of holding himself together so well, considering.

So you couldn't really blame him for exploding when he emerged from the bedroom drowsily to prepare his morning tea only to, for the third time that week, inadvertently step directly into a pile of—

"_SHIT!"_ he shrieked, causing Alfred to tumble out of bed and approach Arthur lethargically, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"WhuzzamatterArtie…?" He mumbled, stifling a yawn.

"Alfred. I've told you _several_ times already, we have to teach Hero how to do his business _outside_." Arthur fumed, his voice livid.

"Hrrmmhh…?" Alfred struggled to keep his eyes open, finding it difficult to focus without his glasses on. "D'jyou step'n his poop again?" Alfred slurred, blinking a few times before stretching lazily. "Why aren't you wearing your slippers?"

"Because Hero destroyed them last week, you stupid git!" Arthur snapped.

"Woah, hey, isn't it a little early in the morning to be shouting?" Alfred studied Arthur with concern before running a hand through his messy bedhead, sighing. "Look, go on and clean up your foot first, 'kay? You gotta understand that he's still a _puppy._ He doesn't know any better. It's not like he's out to get you or anything."

"Oh, _that's_ debatable, as though he ever chews up any of _your _belongings!"

Alfred put a hand on Arthur's arm to try to calm him down. "Well, have you ever thought of it as a cry for attention?"

Arthur stared at Alfred quizzically. "What?"

"I dunno, you just never seem to spend a lot of time with him, and I think maybe he's just trying to get you to notice him or something." Alfred gave a weak smile. "Tell you what. Why don't you and Hero go on a walk together today, just the two of you? I'll get the floor cleaned up and call up Ludwig to ask for some advice on potty training. Sound good?"

Arthur felt his expression soften slightly at Alfred's display of responsibility. "All right, then." He maintained his characteristic scowl, though his voice had lost its previous harshness.

"Awesome." Alfred leaned down to kiss Arthur's forehead.

"Alfred, where is Hero?"

"Hmm?" Alfred hummed, pulling Arthur into a warm hug, still a bit drowsy.

"Hero. Our puppy. Where is he?" Arthur asked hesitantly as Alfred leaned backwards to look in the direction of the bedroom.

Hero sat in the hallway, hard at work gnawing on one of Arthur's dress shoes sandwiched between his paws.

Arthur willed himself not to punch a hole through the wall.

When they were ready to go Alfred walked them to the door, grinning cheerfully and wrapping his arms around Arthur before kneeling to scratch Hero's belly as he rolled over. Alfred made sure to ask Hero to "Be a good boy today for Arthur, okay?" before sending them off.

Arthur breathed in the cold autumn air, cheeks stinging as the wind whipped through his hair, loosening the scarf around his neck. He didn't dare fix it though, his main priority being keeping the energetic puppy from running off. He found it somewhat difficult to keep Hero close, as he was beginning to nearly drag Arthur along.

"You're quite a bit stronger than the last time we walked together, aren't you?" Arthur smiled weakly as Hero pulled him in the direction of a tree stump. "You really are much like Alfred." He mused, remembering how a very young Alfred had nearly scared him to death by swinging a bison twenty times his size around as though it were nothing but a rag doll.

Arthur was promptly torn from his daze as Hero began to tear after a small white blur, taking Arthur with him. "H-Hero! Slow down!" Arthur shouted, running to keep up with the puppy who showed no signs of relenting, intent on catching up to the white blur. "Hero! We can't go that way! You're going to make us run into the middle of the stree—" _KLUNK._

Arthur awoke several minutes later, a spot on his forehead throbbing as he struggled to focus his blurry vision. It took him several moments to realize that he was staring at the ground.

And that he was upside-down.

And that he was moving.

And that he wasn't holding Hero's leash.

"Oh, _shit,_ Hero!" Arthur shouted frantically, too concerned with the missing puppy to bother with the fact that he was floating.

"Oh! Arthur's awake!" he heard a familiar voice speak out. He felt himself stop and looked up to meet a pair of concerned violet eyes.

"…_Tino_?" Arthur managed incredulously, furrowing his brow as the shorter man tilted his head curiously.

"I think you can put him down now, Berwald. He looks fine!"

Arthur blinked, confused, before he felt himself being lifted up and placed back on the ground in one fluid motion. "Er-thank you, Berwald." Berwald nodded briefly before taking his place beside Tino.

"Ah! Tino, have you seen a small golden retriever? His name is Hero and he's still a puppy, so he's quite energetic—but I promise you he's very friendly! The last thing I remember before smashing my head into that blasted lamppost was him dragging us towards the middle of the…" Arthur gasped, covering his mouth as sudden realization dawned on him. He felt his stomach drop, his heart hammering against his chest.

Tino put a hand on his arm gently, pointing in the direction of a small park where Hero was playing excitedly with Hanatamago and Peter.

"O-oh, thank _God._" Arthur nearly dropped to his knees, feeling his limbs slacken with relief.

"We're lucky Berwald is so fast! He went after Hanatamago as soon as she jumped out of my arms. He saw you run into that lamppost so he chased after your puppy and caught him and Hanatamago right before they ran into the street." Tino smiled gratefully at Berwald.

"Berwald, I…I don't know how to thank you…" Arthur started uncertainly.

"D'nt mention it. 'was jus' trying t'help." Berwald mumbled in response.

Arthur rubbed at the spot where his forehead had connected with the metal post, cringing as he felt his head throb painfully.

"Arthur, you should probably go home and get some rest! It looked like you must've hit your head pretty hard." Tino spoke, concern in his voice. "If you want, Berwald and I can take you and Hero home." He offered, smiling worriedly.

"'could carry y'on m'shoulder. Had lots of practice carryin' m'wife."

Tino promptly blushed, waving his hands erratically. "I-I'm not your—I'm _not_ his wife! Don't joke about that, Berwald!" Tino turned to scold Berwald, who nodded patiently.

Meanwhile, Arthur stared after Hero, smiling slightly as he watched him chase Hanatamago and Peter. "That's quite all right, I think I'll be able to make it on my own." He responded, drawing the attention of both Berwald and Tino. "Though…if it's not too much trouble, may I ask if you wouldn't mind bringing Hanatamago to the park again some other time?" Arthur asked hesitantly, "Hero looks like he's really enjoying himself, and I think Alfred would be happy to know that he has another dog to play with…"

Arthur started at the expression Tino was giving him. "It's not like I care whether or not Alfred is happy or anything! It's just irritating to have him making so much noise and destroying our backyard with Hero all the time. Not that I think Alfred's been paying too much attention to Hero, don't get the wrong idea!" he cursed the blush that he knew had to be spreading fast across his face.

Tino smiled sincerely, "That's a great idea, Arthur. I'm sure Hanatamago would be happy to see Hero again." He motioned for Arthur to follow him to retrieve their puppies.

Hero, noticing that Arthur had approached, jumped excitedly at his feet until Arthur bent to pick him up. He laughed as Hero licked his face appreciatively, not caring one bit that his paws were leaving muddy prints all over his shirt.

His laughter was cut short, however, as he heard Peter approach him. He intended to briefly acknowledge the boy, but his greeting was interrupted by raucous laughter and an obnoxious exclamation of "_Hahaha!_ Idiot Arthur ran into a pole!" causing Arthur to chase the cackling boy across the park, Hero barking happily as he followed. Their chase was cut short, however, when Tino restrained Peter as he turned to taunt the exhausted Arthur, chastising him and demanding that he apologize.

Arthur had to chase him again when Peter reached up to smack his forehead after feigning an effort to shake Arthur's hand when the man bent down to do so.

* * *

**A/N:**

I figure Alfred's maturity in this story is strongly linked to the fact that he can relate to Hero so well. : )

Next chapter's gonna be the last! I promise to have it up by this weekend.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here it is, everybody! The final chapter! Thanks to everybody who added this to their alerts and favorites, and a big thank you to everybody who took the time to review! I really do appreciate you all very much. : ) Sap and fluff reach critical levels in this chapter, guys! I hope it's okay.

* * *

After thanking Berwald and Tino again for their kindness, shooting a glare in Peter's direction, Arthur set off for home. However, as the violent winds had picked up and brought heavy storm clouds with them, Arthur was forced to hail a cab back to his and Alfred's home, Hero safe in his arms.

"I'm sorry that I've been so hard on you, Hero." Arthur spoke quietly as the puppy rested against his chest, "We nearly lost you back there, and I…" Arthur faltered, "I can't even begin to describe how horrible that would have been. You've brought so much happiness to both me and Alfred, and I've been so unfair to you…"

Arthur was quiet for a while, watching the rain splatter against the window. "…thank you, Hero. For putting up with somebody like me."

...

"Welcome ho—Arthur!" Alfred dove to place his hands on Arthur's cheeks, tilting his head up to examine his forehead worriedly. "What happened?" He demanded, alarm in his voice.

Arthur smiled, gently reaching up to remove Alfred's hands before kneeling to place Hero on the floor. "Only a minor accident, nothing serious, I assure you. Would you mind boiling some tea for me? I've really got to lie down."

"A-all right, Arthur, but I'm coming right back to put some ice on that, okay?" Arthur smiled at Alfred's concern, watching as he hurried to the kitchen.

He sighed, reaching up to remove the scarf from around his neck, only to find nothing there. "…oh." He spoke softly. "…it must have fallen off when I hit my head." Arthur frowned.

Alfred had given him that scarf several Christmases ago, before they'd started seeing each other. _"I know how much you like sewing and stuff, so I um…I tried to learn how to do this _crow-shay_ thing from Francis, and, so, yeah….s-sorry it kinda sucks. I'm not really patient, y'know, so it took me like half a year to finish it. But…I, um. Here. Hope you like it."_ He recalled Alfred's stammering, remembering how much his heart had leapt upon receiving the forest green scarf from Alfred. He'd worn it every autumn; regardless of how poor the craftsmanship was, it had been very precious to him because _Alfred_ had been the one to make it.

He shook his head, realizing how foolish it was to feel such a sentimental attachment to something as simple as a piece of cloth. "No matter, I suppose I'll just have to go out and buy a new one…." He spoke quietly, the sadness in his voice not completely masked.

He was just about to turn to make his way toward the bedroom when he heard Hero whimper softly, staring up at him with big, brown puppy-dog eyes, head cocked to one side. "Hero…" Arthur knelt down to pet the puppy, smiling weakly. "I thought for sure you'd trotted after Alfred…did you wait here for me?" he laughed quietly as Hero licked his hand. "Don't worry about me, I'll feel much better after I get a bit of rest, I promise." He picked Hero up, gently cradling him in his arms. "But I've got to ask you to stop running off so recklessly, okay? You nearly scared me to death with that stunt you pulled earlier…" Arthur put Hero down and started off toward the bedroom. "Go on and keep Alfred company, all right?" He suggested.

Upon reaching the bedroom, he closed his eyes and collapsed onto the bed, snuggling comfortably under the blankets on Alfred's side.

...

He awoke drowsily when he heard Alfred fail to enter the room quietly, stubbing his toe on the door frame and cursing under his breath as the teacup on the tray he carried clattered against the saucer.

"…'lfred…?" Arthur slurred, blinking his eyes blearily to make out the outline of Alfred's head in the doorway.

"Hey…you feeling any better? Sorry I woke you up." Alfred kneeled carefully on the bed to press a gentle kiss to Arthur's hair. Arthur waved his hand dismissively at Alfred's apology, giving him a feeble smile.

"So I tried to make tea!" Alfred grinned brightly, obviously proud of his accomplishment. "And I brought you some of those scones you like so much, too."

Arthur let out a small laugh at Alfred's enthusiasm, sitting up. "That's very thoughtful of you, Alfred…"

"Wait, lay back down first." Alfred ordered, placing a hand on Arthur's chest.

Arthur eyed Alfred warily, raising an eyebrow before complying. "I swear to God, Alfred, if you put a hamburger on my head, I'm going to—"

"No, no, it's not that." Alfred laughed. "That's what you do if someone's got a _cold_, Artie."

Arthur smirked. "Ah, my mistake."

Alfred smiled encouragingly. "Okay, now close your eyes. Relax, I'm not gonna put a hamburger on your head!" Alfred held up his hands innocently.

Arthur rolled his eyes before closing them, sighing. "All right, now what on Earth are you…" Arthur faltered as he felt Alfred push his bangs back to press a gentle kiss to his forehead, lingering for several seconds as he held one of Arthur's hands against the pillow. He pulled back, smiling warmly as Arthur blinked his eyes open.

"What on…"

"Your fairy friends told me it'd help you feel better." Alfred spoke brightly, reaching for the tray to pass a teacup to Arthur.

"You don't believe they exist, you git." Arthur smirked, taking a sip of tea.

"Believe what you want." Alfred replied easily, taking a bite out of a burnt scone.

"Romantic little bastard, aren't you?" Arthur smiled as he watched Alfred chew with extreme difficulty.

"You do it to me, Artie." Alfred replied, winking.

"So what the hell happened to you?" Alfred pointed at his own forehead indicatively.

"Ah…" Arthur began, a little embarrassed looking back on it. "Don't you dare laugh, I've had to attack Peter twice now and I won't hesitate to wound you."

Alfred laughed amusedly. "I promise nothi—aagh! All right, I won't laugh, I won't laugh!" Alfred rubbed at the spot on his shoulder where Arthur had slugged him. "So wait a second, Peter was there too? What the heck happened at the park, Arthur?"

Arthur took in a deep breath before beginning. "I…I, er…I hit my head on a pole because Hero's gotten ridiculously strong recently and he pulled me into it when he suddenly decided to chase after Hanatamago." Arthur let out rapidly, his face covered in a bright blush. He hesitantly turned to face Alfred, who watched him with understanding. Arthur sighed with relief before recounting the events at the park.

"…I'm all right now, though, just a bit of a headache. Nothing out of the ordinary." Arthur added upon meeting Alfred's concerned expression. "Anyway, where's Hero?" Arthur inquired, taking a long sip of his tea.

"You haven't seen him?" Alfred frowned.

Arthur furrowed his brow, "I thought he was with you." Alfred shook his head, getting up purposefully and offering his hand to help Arthur out of bed.

"Hero! Where are you, boy?" Alfred called, whistling and checking under the furniture and in every room of the house. Meanwhile, Arthur checked his shoe closet and the kitchen to no avail.

"Arthur?" he heard Alfred call hesitantly, his voice coming from the front hallway.

"Did you find hi—" Arthur stared, his eyes wide as he saw Alfred standing beside the front door, open wide.

"Oh, bloody hell." Arthur brought a hand up to his mouth as Alfred looked at him with an anxious expression.

"Arthur…did you leave the door open when you came home?"

Arthur winced, moving his hand up to rub at his forehead. "I-I don't remember. It's possible…"

"We've gotta go after him, Arthur!" Alfred cried, grabbing his coat.

"Alfred, wait!" Arthur started towards him, reaching a hand out to stop him from shoving his boots on. "There's no way he's out there, he's scared to death of thunder."

"Well, he obviously isn't in the house!" Alfred's voice was nearly hysterical.

"Alfred, settle down. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. There's no reason why he'd leave, I explicitly ordered that he's not to leave the house without our supervision."

"…do you think it's possible he ran away…?" Alfred asked quietly, his voice suddenly taking on a serious tone.

"What?" Arthur stared at Alfred incredulously, kneeling down to meet his eyes. "Alfred, what makes you think that he would run away?"

"Can you honestly blame him? You're giving him so many rules and restrictions, maybe he felt like you were suffocating him!" Alfred snapped, causing Arthur to flinch, "Maybe he didn't feel like he had any other choice. Maybe he wanted a little _freedom_."

Arthur stood up, taken aback. "…are we still discussing Hero, Alfred?" Arthur asked, his voice somber.

"You said so yourself, he's just like _me_, isn't he?" Alfred stood to face Arthur, hands curled into fists at his side. "Sure, every once and a while you sit down and play with him, but you always go back to your study and lock him out! You're always shouting at him for making small mistakes and you force him to follow all these rules just because _you_ can't _deal_ with the fact that he's not _exactly_ the way you want him to be! And I can't say that I don't understand what he's going through. You were bossy back then, too." Alfred spoke darkly.

"Don't you _dare_ bring your goddamn Revolution into this, Alfred." Arthur warned.

But it was too late. He knew better than anyone that rainy days like today inevitably brought out feelings from 1776.

"What are you gonna do about it, Arthur? Try to keep _me_ on a leash?" Alfred's voice was cold. "Shut yourself out like a coward, become a lonely old man for another couple hundred years?"

And that was it.

Arthur shoved past Alfred out into the unrelenting storm. "A-Arthur, where are you—"

"I'm going after Hero." Arthur spoke through gritted teeth.

"What the hell, Arthur! You can't keep _avoiding_ this!" Alfred grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled him back to the doorstep roughly. "Why won't you ever just _face_ it and _talk_ to me about it? Arthur, it's been eating you alive for over _two hundred_ years now!"

Alfred carefully wrapped his arms around Arthur's shuddering frame. "I know it hurts, but…we really need to talk about this if we want to be together. I'm sorry that you don't like it when I bring it up, but I hate what it's doing to you and I just wanna _help_…" he spoke quietly.

Slowly, Arthur moved his arms to push at his chest gently. "We're wasting time, he could be anywhere." He spoke dismissively, turning to head back into the storm.

"I'm going with you." Alfred asserted, meeting Arthur's stern expression. "Look, I'm sorry that I overreacted, I just…"

"It's fine, Alfred." Arthur replied curtly.

He knew he was lying and he cursed himself for it. But he knew that he couldn't deal with it just yet. Regardless of what anyone else said, how much time had passed, the wound was still fresh to him. The pain of having the first person he'd opened his heart to betray him wasn't something he was ready to face. He'd suppressed it and there was no sense in bringing it back now. Because he knew it would make him scared. Make him reconsider his decision to open his heart to Alfred again.

He didn't know if his heart could handle being alone again.

The wind howled, the biting cold stinging Arthur's face as he fought to keep his eyes squinted open enough to search for the lost puppy. He could barely make out Alfred's voice, calling out for Hero desperately against the loud crashing of thunder. In his rush into the storm, he had neglected to put on his coat, forcing him to wrap his arms around himself, shuddering against the rain and cold. And he cursed himself. For causing Hero to run away, forcing him into this unforgiving cold. For being so short-tempered and controlling. For being unwilling to face the truth and let Alfred help his wounds heal.

And he hated himself for still being the kind of person that others want to abandon.

While Arthur knew that he had gotten a bit better, he realized that Alfred's words were true. Alfred had risked so much, and he knew deep in his heart that he had Alfred's full trust. But what had Arthur given in return? His heart was fractured by his unwillingness to heal old scars. And yet here was Alfred, giving him his heart in its entirety, and Arthur was letting history stop him from doing the same.

It wasn't fair at all.

If Alfred was brave enough to trust Arthur with his heart, then Arthur should be strong enough to trust Alfred completely.

Arthur took a cautious step towards Alfred, reaching a hand out to touch his arm.

And suddenly, Arthur heard a faint, excited bark.

He felt Alfred tense beside him, his voice faltering as he called out Hero's name.

And Arthur felt his heart swell as the little puppy scampered towards them, jumping into Alfred's open arms. Arthur gave a little cry of relief and started towards them, but froze as soon as something in Hero's mouth caught his eye.

Hero wiggled out of Alfred's grasp after letting the man squeeze him tightly and attempt to warm him with his jacket. He approached Arthur and stared up at him with his big, brown eyes, Arthur's scarf held securely in his mouth.

Arthur let out a string of choked apologies, scooping Hero up and holding him tightly in his arms.

"Hero, y-you…" Arthur started, burying his face in Hero's wet fur. "You didn't run away, you…you only wanted to bring my scarf back, I can't believe…_Hero_…" Arthur blubbered as Hero let out an excited bark.

Arthur smiled weakly, wrapping Hero in the warm scarf before turning to face Alfred, who watched him with concern. "Alfred, look, I…" Arthur started, locking his green eyes with Alfred's bright blue. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I've been so afraid. I'm always thinking of myself, thinking that I have to put up with so much, but _you_…you've got to put up with somebody like _me._ And I want to be strong for you, Alfred. I…I love you very much."

Alfred closed the gap between them in two strides, enveloping Arthur and Hero in a warm hug. "_Arthur._" Alfred spoke into Arthur's hair. "I love you, too."

They pulled apart slowly, Alfred giving Arthur a bright smile before his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh, _jeez_, Arthur. I'm _so_ sorry about what I said earlier, I don't know what I was thinking! I was just so worried about Hero, I mean, I _know _you're getting better at understanding him but I got all unreasonable and upset, I _swear_ I didn't really mean any of it like that, I—"

Arthur cut off Alfred's frantic babbling with a gentle kiss.

"It's fine, Alfred." he pulled away, giving Alfred a reassuring smile.

And he was being completely honest this time.

And so, after hurrying home, the rain having soaked all three of them to the bone, Arthur and Alfred collapsed together on the sofa as Hero shook himself dry. Arthur suggested that they change before they caught cold, but all hope was lost as Alfred drew Arthur close to him stubbornly.

"So why do you care about that scarf so much? It's hideous." Alfred laughed, cuddling with a shivering Arthur on the sofa as Hero rested by the fireplace.

"Because _you_ made it for me, you dolt." Arthur wrapped his arms tightly around Alfred's torso.

Alfred gave him a look of genuine shock, eyebrows rising high on his forehead as a faint blush began to spread across his cheeks. "You _kept_ it?"

Arthur nodded in affirmative, fingers toying with the fabric on Alfred's hoodie. "You're absolutely right in saying that it's hideous—your craftsmanship really is dreadful and you learned how to do it from that wine bastard, but—"

Arthur was cut off as Alfred pulled away to stare directly into Arthur's eyes. "You _kept_ it?" he repeated incredulously.

"Yes, are you so surprised that I would keep a gift from you, Alfred?" Arthur replied flatly, bringing a hand up to muss Alfred's wet hair.

"I dunno, I always thought you burned it or sent it to some alternate dimension with your weird magic or something. I mean, when I gave it to you, you gave me this look like you were about to hurl and then you just kinda ran off."

"That's because I was in _love_ with you, silly git." Arthur smiled as Alfred laughed, pulling Arthur into another warm hug.

After a few moments of listening to the fire crackle, Alfred rubbing Arthur's back and shoulders gently to try to keep him from shivering, Arthur spoke up, his voice barely a whisper. "So do you…want to discuss what happened…in 1776?" he asked cautiously.

Alfred gave him a warm smile, running a hand through his own messy hair. "Nah." He spoke dismissively, gently removing himself from Arthur's embrace and easing the shorter man onto his back. "Just knowing that you'll be ready to talk about it someday soon is good enough for me. For _now…_" Alfred removed his rain-speckled glasses and placed them on a nearby table. "You still haven't stopped shivering, and I'd really like to _warm you up._" Alfred spoke in a low voice, leaning over his lover and slipping a hand under his shirt.

Arthur gave a small noise of alarm, shouting something along the lines of "_Alfred, _Hero is right _there!_ I can't _do it_ with you with Hero right…_ohh_…"

They were interrupted, however, when Alfred haphazardly flung Arthur's wet shirt in a random direction, as it landed right beside Hero, startling the puppy awake and causing Arthur to let out a string of angry curses at a laughing Alfred.

And yet, he mused, smiling affectionately as Alfred moved the sleepy puppy to his kennel, he knew that things were finally, truly going to be okay.

That simple realization was enough to make him feel warm again.

end.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks so much again to everybody who's taken the time to read this fic! I do hope you've all enjoyed it, even just a little.

Happy December, everybody : )


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